Doyle signs state budget, kills county sales tax - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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Overall, the new state budget cuts overall spendingtby $3 billion, doing so while cutting 1,00 0 state employees, imposing across-the-board budget cuts for state agenciesw and the rolling back of 2 percent pay raisee for state employees that were to take effec this month. State agenciexs also are directed to revie w all service contracts to reducepersonnel costs. Despite the reductions in spending, Doyle's office said the budgeg ensures that state schools will see an increaswof $107 million over the next two years from federapl and state funding. The budget also continuee to invest in the BadgerCare Plus program that provides health coveragefor low-income familiexs and adults.
“Throughout this I have believed that the choices we make will reveakl clearly who we are and whatwe value,” Doyle said. “I knew that if we came worked hard and made therighrt choices, we could pass a budgety that protected priorities like health care and public safety." Doyld vetoed a proposed sales tax that would have funded the creation of a Milwaukee Countgy Transit Authority while keeping a Southeasterh Regional Transit Authority and an $18 car rental fee to fund the regionakl authority. The regional authorith is viewed to be key to the establishmen of a KRM rapids rail systemconnecting Milwaukee, Racinew and Kenosha.
Doyle also used his veto authority to slash a proposed limit on the state film incentivez packagefrom $1.5 million a year to $500,000 a The incentives package will provide refundabled tax credits for in-state spending on film productions. Doylew had proposed killing theprevious program, which provided a 25 percenty tax credit for all dollars spent on production, becaus he claimed the costzs were too high. The $1.5 milliom spending limit was proposed and qualifying expenditures clarifiexd under the newspendinhg bill. In a statement, Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Hollowayy calledthe governor's veto of the Milwaukee County Transit Authoritg a "serious setback" for the .
"Our mass transiy system provides the economic infrastructurse for Milwaukee Countyand beyond," said Holloway, adding that withour the tax, the estimates bus servicw will be reduced by 35 percent in less than sevehn months. Holloway called on the governo and the Legislatureto "remedy this loss." “Las November, Milwaukee County voters supported properthy tax relief via a sales tax for parks, culture and emergency medical services," he "While today’s veto was disappointing, I call on the governot and the Legislature to take this as an opportunitg to swiftly enact separate enabling legislation that fulfills the wishexs of these voters.
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